A Dinner To Remember
by SpencerGilly
Summary: Soul totally sucks at realizing his feelings. Maka wants him to meet her mother. Will a dinner alone with the wise woman finally get him to see what he has been missing? SoMa... kind of fluffy :  I also have a lemon version being published very soon.


"Pleeeeease?" She asked widening her olive eyes and sticking her pale, pink lip out, pouting slightly. Crap. She knew I was powerless, nothing but a sitting duck, when she did that. A minuscule smile graced her features, and her body titled forward in a relaxed manner, leaning towards me. I felt her breath brush lightly against my face as she exhaled. Mint and cherries. I backed away in a hurried fashion. It wasn't like I was vehemently opposed to what she was asking me, in all honesty, I would normally have no problem with it, I would be cool, okay, and completely collected. I was just maybe... kind of... a bit nervous. She went back to her original position, backing away like I had, the knit, scratchy-looking material of her banana yellow sweater-vest rubbing lightly against the velvety couch. Her normally uplifting eyes fell a bit, and the happy shine abruptly left them.

Her usually confident and laughing voice sounded, but this time, tiny and upset. "So," she breathed out seeming slightly depressed. "Should I call and tell my mom your not coming to dinner then?" That's right. Here is what she was so innocently asking me, and I shouldn't blame her, it isn't like she had some kind freaky power where she could read my feelings. The creepiest power she had was her famous Maka Chop. All she wanted was for me to meet her mom, or, as she said, her mom wanted to meet me. Maka barely saw her, (and I don't blame Maka's mom, if you divorced a creepy guy like Spirit, wouldn't you want to be as far away from his as possible?) and she was coming to town and spending the night with her. I guess all of the stories Maka told her about me peeked her curiosity. You can't blame Maka for always talking about me. After all, I AM such a cool guy.

My eyes rolled over slowly, peeking at those slightly sad olive orbs. Her head hung numbly, blond hair draping in a curtain over the upper half of her melancholy face. She was sitting there still as a doll, quiet as a mouse, waiting for an answer. I guess my conscience was peeking through, because although I hated to admit it, I felt kinda bad, because I hate it when she got upset. Truth was, like I was saying before, I was just kinda nervous. Yeah, well, even cool guys like me get nervous sometimes. It was just, whenever Maka talked about her mom, she got this content look in her eyes, and she would giggle happily, and not worry about looking weak or stupid. Almost like... just thinking about her mom gave her this new strength. After all, her mom WAS the reason she was so determined to turn me into a death scythe. Her mom to her, was like was some kind of goddess.

I could tell beyond a shadow of a doubt that Maka really looked up to her, and... if I was uncool enough to care… I guess I would be worried she wouldn't approve of me. Even though I wracked my brain, don't know what I was worried about, no way was I dating Little Miss Bookworm, so it wasn't like I was some anxious boyfriend seeking the parents approval. (If I was, it wasn't like her ever-so-perverted father would approve of any boy who wanted to date HIS Maka. Not that I wanted to date her. Heh... heh...)

Looking at all the facts, I really couldn't find anything I should be stressing out about, and not going to dinner with her would obviously make her upset. Sooooo... I don't see why I should have to make her upset. (Not that it has anything to do with the fact I think a pretty face should never look sad. Not that Maka has a pretty face in my book. Heh... heh...) My hand lifted off the couch, and glided towards hers, then gently layered on top of it. It was pale and small, with smooth milk honey skin. Thoughts buzzed through my head, each one of them about how soft and nimble her hands were. (What am I thinking? I swear I don't normally think of Maka this way. Not cool Soul.) My blood-red eyes shifted up, and met her emerald ones. Slight confusion touched her features in reaction to why I had taken hold of her hand, but she didn't complain. She actually looked... happy. Haha, I'm probably just imagining things. For all I know, she could have been totally creeped out. Maybe she was just happy to have a cool guy like me holding her hand. I exhaled slightly.

I kept up my cool guy attitude, no way was I telling Maka I was nervous. So, I responded easily and with a slight smirk. "No, Maka, it's okay, I have no problem meeting your mom... I mean... it's not like I have anything better to do."

"Maka Chop!" Suddenly, stars swirled and flashed in front of my eyes, and I was forcefully pushed directly into the scratchy carpet, leaving a crimson rug-burn on my cheek. My still spinning eyes lazily looked up, and I caught sight of her tightly gripping a dangerous book, attempting to plaster a ticked-off look to her face, though I could swear I saw a smile peeking through, but that was probably just the splitting headache from her violent attack.

"God, Soul, you could have just said yes. No need to be all rude-cool guy. Just... wear something nice, I don't know where we are going, but mom told me to wear something nice. And... Soul? Thanks." The smile she had been desperately struggling to hold back spread across her milk-and-honey cheeks, which were stained with a light rosy blush. I dropped my head back onto the bland, sea of white; which was the rug. I stayed there, wallowing in self-pity and head-pain for a while, until... looking up, I realized something. The way Maka was standing above me with her arms crossed, looking down, I could see right up her teasingly short skirt. All the way up her long, soft-skinned legs. Then I found that the spot where my face had been Maka-chopped wasn't the only place that was red. My entire face was slowly being stained crimson.

"Soul?" Her soft voice called out, almost pulling me back out of my impure thoughts and back to reality. "Soul, are you okay? You look red." Of course I looked red, with the way she was making me blush. I looked away. She leaned down tantalizingly, those tempting, soft legs I had been staring at softly brushing against mine. I found myself feeling a little bit light-headed. That hand that had touched mine earlier pressed against my forehead, trying to determine if I had a fever. The contact of her skin on mine made me even more flustered. Maka... her skin... on mine... some not-so clean images entered my mind.

I needed to get up, and make distance between us... and possibly take a cold shower. My hand flew up from its position on the carpet and lightly brushed hers off, feeling an electric jolt when we rubbed against each other. I bolted up, that silky hair of hers brushing me, tickling my cheek. She smelled like strawberries. It was an intoxicating aroma that wafted around me. Maybe she smelled like lavender too... 'Get a grip Soul!' I was quick to internally scold myself. 'You need to get away from her before you jump her! Not that you find Maka attractive or anything... heh... heh.' My thoughts started swirling in turmoil again.

I bounced to my feet quick as a flash and called out to her as I walked from the room, my hands in my pockets, footsteps silenced by the scratchy, plush carpet. "Yeah, yeah, don't worry about me bookworm." I realized suddenly that she was still frozen like a statue in her position, sitting smack in the center of the room, resting comfortably on her knees, her petit hand steadily extended to where my forehead had been a few moments ago. My head whipped around, and my eyes fell on my room again. I picked up my slow pace, putting one leg in front of the other more quickly, and kept walking. "We only have a half hour until we have to go, you should get ready." I finally reached that plain white door that led to my slightly messy room. In one long stride, I crossed through, now standing inside my room (which was a bit more messy than slightly). Out of the blue, that tinkling voice of hers sounded out again, this time highlighted with a confused tone.

"Okay... but don't tell me what to do." That was so something Maka would say. I let a small smile pass over my mouth, fangs poking out, and I deftly shut the door.

SMSMSMSMSMSMSM

I was sprawled out on the couch in the living room, arms resting on my jumpy leg, which was restlessly bouncing. Maka had ordered me (not in a threatening way... but you never could tell for sure with Maka) to wear something nice. So, with barely any thought, I had thrown on a burgundy button down shirt, (that rubbed my skin and itched like hell) and midnight black slacks (also not too comfortable, they were shifty and the earth-brown shiny leather belt pinched my skin). I had ditched my 'Soul' headband (I thought hard abut the painful Maka chop I was sure to receive if I left it on.) All in all, it had taken me a mere ten minutes to get ready, but I hadn't hopped up and left yet, due to the grueling fact I had to wait for Maka. Sitting here all bored and stuff was practically agonizing. This is not how cool guys like me should have to spend their time. So, I rested patiently on the velvet-like couch, waiting for her to emerge from her room. Sure, it takes a girl longer than a guy to get ready, but you can't expect a cool guy like me to just wait around.

"Maka!" I my voiced droned out lazily. "Are you gonna be ready before next year, or should I tell your mom you got lost in your closet?" It only took about three quick seconds, and she quickly and smartly responded, as her creamy-white door swung open carelessly, hitting the wall with a muffled tap.

"Haha. Very funny." Her familiar voice spiraled out clearly. A shallow clacking sound found it's way into my ears. I realized immediately it was the light patter of her footsteps as she hastily paced down the hall. "So..." She inquired brightly, pausing for a short second. "How do I look?" My eyes lazily drifted up from the glassy, wooden-framed picture of us. It hung on the wall quivering slightly, on a silver peg. (It was taken right after we had our first day at the academy as partners; even though she had slightly crooked teeth when she was younger, her smile was still breathtaking.) When my eyes finally rested on her, they were no longer lazy, but they widened, and my heart abruptly jumped, bringing my steady breathing to a halt. She looked... beautiful. More gorgeous than anything I had ever seen. I mean... she looked okay. For Maka. Hugging her slim, alabaster body was a simple sundress, not to extravagant, that stopped just below her slightly bent the knees. There was no fabric covering her smooth, enticing shoulders and neck, so I guess that means you would call it strapless, and it was kind of silky looking. (Sorry, but cool guys like me are not that good at describing dresses and crap like that.) It was the same emerald-olive green color as her eyes, making them dramatically pop, in fact, they seemed to be looking right through me (but with Maka, for all I know, she COULD be looking at my soul).

Her hair was released from those bonding pigtails it was held in day after day, and it hung loosely, tickling her back lightly, framing her pale, yet happily smiling face. I couldn't really tell if she was wearing any make-up, but, come on, what normal guy can? (Except maybe Kid... if he were normal.) Then again she never did wear any of that cosmetic crap, and... in my opinion, she didn't need any. Her feet fell one in front of the other as she stepped forward at a leisurely pace, my eyes still steadily fixated on her face. When she was no less than a foot away from me, the realization suddenly stuck me that she didn't appear to be any taller than her usual, shrimpy self. So, using logic, (which Maka says I don't do enough) I came to the conclusion that she must be wearing flat shoes, but my eyes never actually left her face to check. It hit me like a ton of bricks, Maka was saying something to me, so I quickly snapped out of my daze and listened to the end of her sentence.

"... look okay, Soul?" I allowed a smirk to take its usual place on my face. My signature smirk.

"Yeah Maka, you look nice." I lifted my arm with ease, and turned it over so my palm faced up, then I held my hand out to her. "Let's go." My ears picked up on a slight gasp coming from her mouth. Blush creeped across her normally fair skin and stained her face, as she too lifted her hand, and placed it daintily in my waiting one. Then, hand in hand, we walked out the door.

SMSMSMSMSMSM

We stood outside, under the twinkling stars. My hands were lazily stuffed into my pockets, my posture less than perfect as I slouched slightly, shoulders rolled forward. The night air was a bit chilly, turning Maka's cheeks the same rosy color that they had when I complimented her earlier. My eyes shifted up and looked through the enormous glass window that proudly displayed the contents of the not-so-casual restaurant. It was dimly lit, smooth white candles setting a drifty and romantic mood, but, making it harder to see inside... I should warn Maka not to start reading if she gets bored, she might hurt her eyes. The place gave off an elegant atmosphere that almost enveloped you. You could feel it when you stood close to the entrance, and I could tell this was no McDonald's. That heart-stopping smile spread across her face, and hit me at full force, like a swift kick in the chest. I found myself gasping for air slightly. She turned away, and the affects of the smile were still lingering on me as she lifted her head up, looking at the door. The long beams of moonlight danced down and hit her, filling in her every curve with a soft white light, making her glow (or maybe that was just her) as the nighttime air whipped her shining, straw-colored hair in semicircles around her face, still slightly blushing, but ever-so pale and delicate. Kind of like the china doll I found in my Aunt's attic when I was seven. What? I was quite the explorer when I was little. That's what makes me so cool.

"Well, let's go in." A light sigh escaped her lips after she spoke, as if the dreamy ambiance of the dimly lit place in front of us was having some sort of calming affect on her usually over-hyper and unnecessarily violent self (proven by her continuous Maka-Chops.) I smirked again. Before I pulled myself out of my slightly cheesy and cliché thoughts to answer her in a cool, indifferent manner.

"Kay." Kay is my favorite word. It works for anything. If someone asks how your day was, you can say, 'Kay.' If someone asks you if you want chicken you can say, "Kay.' You see where I'm going with this? The glass doors swung open forcefully when her petit arm shot out so quickly I could barely follow the movement, and pushed them open. Those arms of hers at first glance may appear tiny and weak, but I had strong proof otherwise, from the way she swung me around in my scythe form with ease, like I weighed practically nothing, and clutched 30 books at a time in slightly sweating palms on her way home from the city's enormous library, which might be even more difficult than wielding a giant scythe. My head rotated slowly as I walked next to the happily bouncing Maka, my eyes quickly scanning the interior of the building. The walls were painted a deep crimson. Candles stood in silver holders every few feet, making things have a dim incandescence, and casting long shadows. The tables were thrown in a circular pattern around the wide room, and were a shiny coal color that reflected your face back at you when you stared down at them, as were the chairs. Everything put together looked... almost eerie, but, there was something comforting about the place. In fact, I think it kind of reminded me of the room with the record player inside of my mind. The only thing that was missing was that annoying little imp. I hope he doesn't show up. (Yeah I get it, I'm ridiculous, he won't appear.) With an abrupt panic, I realized Maka's petit fingers had untangled themselves from mine, and she was slipping away from me.

My head rapidly whipped around, searching for where she had disappeared to. My eyes finally caught sight of her forest-green dress, and latched onto her moving form. She was smiling widely, her long legs hitting the ground one in front of the other as she ran swiftly towards a table in the corner. At first, the table seems to have no particular significance. Before my brain could even register that the woman at the table was probably Maka's mother, Maka reached the table and threw her arms excitedly around the person, latching on in a tight hug. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she unlatched her vice-grip arms and pulled away. I could finally take my time and get a good look at the woman. It took all my restraint not to gasp. I could hardly believe my eyes. She was practically a carbon-copy of Maka. Makes me wonder if Spirit even contributed. (Well I guess Maka has Spirt's nose.)This woman had features that reminded me unconditionally of my little miester Maka. The same room-brightening smile, the same alabaster skin and shining olive eyes. The hair feel gracefully from her head was also the same fair blonde color as Maka's, but unlike her short, straight style, it curled softly at the end and touched her waist. Despite the fact that she was sitting down, I could tell the mystery woman was tall, long, and lean, and was nowhere short of beautiful... and definitely Maka's mother (she wasn't the type to hug strangers anyway.) Now I knew where Maka got her looks... not that I thought Maka was pretty... heh... heh.

With an urgent suddenness, the woman looked up, blond hair bobbing, her emerald eyes meeting my blood-red ones. A warm smile consumed her face, and she, without subtlety, leaned over and whispered something to Maka. Blush exploded across Maka's face, followed by a smile, and a small nod of her head, indicating she said yes to whatever her mother asked. Maka's mother's eyes drifted toward me again, and again and smiled just as warmly as she had before, raising her hand, nearly as pale and small as Maka's, and waving it, beckoning me over. I lifted my hand slowly out of my pockets and let them swing at my sides as I strolled over to the table slowly, my eyes fixed dead on Maka and her mother the whole way. Maka had a look of excitement and anxiety plastered to her face. At long last, I reached the shiny, midnight table. Maka's mom held out her hand, and her laugh ran out lightly. She opened her mouth, speaking out in a soothing, tinkling, and wise voice.

"Oh hello. You must be Soul Eater Evans. You can call me Kami. My little Maka has told me a lot about you. Please, sit down." I hesitated for a few short seconds before I mirrored her and extended my hand, then gripped hers lightly and tried to shake it, but she must have been just as sneaky as Maka, because she got me by surprise, pulling me into a warm hug. I didn't waste any time, my body went stiff in confusion, and I stood there, her arms wound tightly around me, not exactly knowing what to do. Finally, after what seemed like eternities of awkward hugging, (but was really only a couple seconds) she released me, and gestured fluidly to an empty chair. I plopped down, trying to shake off my embarrassment. With the smoothest cool-guy attitude I could manage, I smiled lightly, then I caught a quick glimpse of Maka's amused face, and abruptly changed my expression to a smirk.

SMSMSMSMSMSM

Mindless talk. That was really all it was. I peeked occasionally at Maka's clearly delighted face as she talked about our missions, tasks, and remedial lessons, sharing stories and laughs about Black*Star's ego, Kid's symmetry obsession, Tsubaki's quiet crush on her obnoxious miester, and Kid and Liz's recent and unexpected relationship with her listening mother. I warmed up to Kami pretty fast. I don't see how she ever went for a psycho guy like Spirit. She didn't remind me of Maka that much... unless she had a dark side she wasn't showing. She was kind, and motherly. (OK, maybe Maka wasn't the most cool-headed all the time, but I can't deny she is a kind person. I guess I can also see her being a good mother someday... not that I think of Miss Tiny Tits as a future candidate for having my kids! I'm too cool for that!) Maka's mom also seemed to like me as well. Not that I really cared or anything, because, you know, a cool guy doesn't need a parents approval... but somehow, it still felt nice. I snapped out of my thoughts and tuned back into the conversation, and realized Kami was in the middle of laughing warmly after Maka told her about the time Kid went crazy because her pigtails weren't straight, freaked out, and then spent ten minutes adjusting them. Her smile died down slowly, and then, her eyes drifted towards me. I nearly jumped. Out of the blue, her face went serious, and she continued staring intently at me. Then her gaze shifted to Maka, and then me again. I glanced quickly over at Maka to see if she knew what was going on, and I read the look she sent back at me. She was telling me with her eyes that when her mom got like this, she meant business, but she had no idea what this could be about.

Our eyes shifted back to the still-staring Kami. Maka sweat-dropped as I shifted uncomfortably under her mother's heavy gaze. I was kind of nervous... this was normally the look Maka had on her face before she Maka-chopped me. But I doubted I was going to get Maka-chopped by Kami, so I relaxed my posture, and sat calmly in my chair. That's a lie. I was freaking out on the inside. Then, Maka's mom dropped her scary expression and put on a sun-blocking smile again. The randomly changing moods were a bit scary, but I had gotten used to it from living with Maka. "So..." Kami said, still smiling. "are you two behaving yourselves, being safe?" Context was very important with that sentence... it could have easily been mistaken as... inappropriate. I think inappropriate was exactly how Maka and I interpreted it, because Maka nearly fell out of her chair, and I felt like I had just been hit in the gut.

"W... what mom?" Maka said stuttering and sweating, while trying to reposition herself in her chair. Maka's mom laughed a light, tinkering laugh, and raised an oped hand up, running it through her golden curls.

"You know, being responsible." She explained like it was the simplest thing in the world. A look of relief washed over Maka's face, and it disappeared just as quickly when her mother started talking again. "When you two get intimate, are you being responsible?" Maka immediately turned ten shades of red, and I imagined I didn't look much different.

I was in a stupor, and completely out of it. But somehow, through all of my embarrassed daze, I heard Maka slowly start to speak, stuttering with every word. "W-we d... d... don't do that M-mom." I looked quickly at Kami searching for a sign of belief on her face. All I saw was Kami staring doubtfully at her. Maka quickly pushed the chair away from the table, the scraping sound echoing through the restaurant. She stood up faster than a flash of lightning. "Well!" she said with a fake smile. "You... just sit here with Soul, I... need to... go to the bathroom! Uh... yeah... the bathroom." With that she turned on her heel and flounced away quickly.

I couldn't believe she was leaving me there alone at the table after her mother had just asked about... THAT! Not that I hadn't thought about it... but... 'What am I saying?' I vehemently scolded myself in my head. 'You don't wanna do THAT with Maka!' The other, more perverted and abrasive side of me argued back. 'You do and you know it!' Okay, arguing with myself. I am now officially crazier than Stein. I pushed the swirling thoughts in my head away, trying my best to ignore them, and shifted my eyes up, looking at Kami timidly. She smiled and spoke aloud in the direction that Maka had walked.

"I can't believe my little girl isn't telling me things." Her forest-green eyes then rolled over to look at me, and she must have seen how uncomfortable I looked, because she continued speaking. "It's okay, you know, every teenage couple does it. I wouldn't have minded Maka waiting until she was a little older... but I suppose..." I could barely get up the courage to reply.

"Uhhh... Maka and I... are not a couple." I shifted under her emerald eyes. She pretended to frown, but I could tell it was a struggle for her, so she gave up and simply smiled again.

"Oh my Soul, now you can't start keeping things from me too! I see the way you look at her!" With that sentence, all the embarrassment was wiped from my mind, and I was nothing but interested in what Kami had to say. I looked at her questioningly and my eyes snapped open, taking in her carefree expression. The question had been weighing on my mind for some time now, and if Kami could answer it, I was more than happy to get an opinion from someone other than 'The Great and Mighty Black*Star.'

"How do I look at her?" I asked seriously without hesitation, not even taking time to think of a more subtle way to ask. The smile drained from her face, and she looked at me as if I was kidding with her. Her new expression was just screaming, 'What, you didn't notice?' Then, she gently reached out and took my hold of my hand, hand, and spoke in a light and yet serious tone. The look in her eyes told me she was about to say something more serious than most of the shit I had to deal with everyday.

"You look at her like you love her." My breath caught in my throat, my eyes got even wider than they had even been. Kami looked at me almost pitifully and held one of my hand between both of hers. She lowered her voice. "Don't tell me you haven't told her yet." At the end of that sentence, her head shifted, and she caught sight of looked at something behind her. Her expression changed to a more upbeat one, and she offered me one last piece of advice. "She won't wait forever. She really is wonderful." Then Maka's mother let go of my hand. I was to distracted to notice, so I let it drop onto the table. As soon as it had made a thump when it hit the surface carelessly, Maka returned to her seat. Her dress blew out in a circle as she deftly plopped down into the chair next to me.

"Hey guys." She said smiling. Her eyes scanned over both of us. I was still sitting frozen in place, and thinking of what had just been said. "What are you guys talking about?" I guess she was trying to make sure we weren't still talking about the awkward thing Kami had brought up earlier. Maka looked at my face, searching for reassurance that she was safe, the weird conversation was over. I tried to smirk weakly. A smile graced her face, followed by a light nod, as her sandy hair bobbed around her face. She must have realized I looked a bit terrified, because she held up a tiny hand. "Never mind. I don't want to know. Mom, did you emotionally scar Soul?" I barely saw Kami smile and nod no. "Good." Maka said. Her voice had a hint of humor in it. It always did. It... it lightened up my day when I was upset about some stupid thing. She was the only reason I wasn't failing school... heh... if she didn't force me to go everyday I would probably just skip. Not like my family at all. Never pushed me. Told me I _wasn't _stupid. Always there to help me. She was... I dunno. Huh... at this point, I didn't even bother to ask myself what I was thinking. I knew what it was. I was sitting here wondering... if I was really in love with Maka Albarn.

"Uhhh... Soul? Why are you staring at me like that?" I snapped back into reality. I quickly realized with humiliation the entire time I had been thinking, my eyes had never left her face. I blushed furiously and looked down.

"Nothing. It's nothing." Kami smiled knowingly, flicking her golden hair over her shoulder.

"Okay, if you say so, cool-guy." She replied. I looked up at her again. At her face, her smile, her shining eyes, her skin glowing under the candlelight, beautiful. Yes, she was. I'm not denying it. I thought she was beautiful. She cheered me up. There was nobody I would rather be around than her, and... she was... the light of my life (As uncool as that sounds). I realized that she had begun talking to her mother again. (Thank god she didn't see me staring. That would have been too uncool to play off again.) Her mother laughed at something she had said. The laughter must have been contagious, because within a few seconds she began to laugh too.

That laugh rang in my ears like bells, and... yeah. I... love her. I think I love Maka Albarn. She laughed again, and it warmed my heart, making me shiver slightly. No, I know I love her. OK, it's not that big of a deal, only one sentence... I am going to say it... I love Maka. Damn, does that feel good. I bet it would feel even better to say out loud.

I stared at her talking, laughing, and nibbling on a piece of bread, smiling, and flicking her hair over her shoulder (the same way her mom did, I guess their similarities aren't only skin deep). I was watching her like a lovestruck idiot. Then it... it really hit me. I was in love with Maka! Immediately I was stricken with a horrible panic. My fuzzy, fresh-love feelings were gone. Oh my god... I couldn't just ignore this! What if I can never talk to her normally again! I sweat-dropped, and started shifting and absentmindedly playing around with the silver fork on the table. I peeked up shyly to get another look at her. But, as my eyes met the spot that she had currently been occupying, Maka was missing. I must have been playing with the fork longer than I thought. My head shifted wildly around, searching for her. I finally caught sight of her, she was leaning over, hair draping over her face, and hugging her mother. Kami leaned up gave her a kiss on the cheek, and then patted her on the back. Maka then whipped around and grabbed my hand, pulling me up from my hard shiny seat. I was so lost in thought I had no idea what was going on. I hadn't heard one bit of the conversation, but by the looks of it, we were getting ready to leave.

I stood up by myself the rest of the way quickly, and was pulled close to Maka, my face inches from hers. Her arm was still linked to mine from when she had tried to pull me out of my seat. I could feel Kami's gaze weighing heavily on us, and although I felt like I should pull away, I couldn't find the strength to do anything but stare at her face. Maka's cheeks turned crimson, and I felt a flush rush over my face, and it got a few degrees hotter, then she closed her eyes, and turned around again. I released a breath I had been holding in.

"Good-bye mom. I love you. I hope I'll see you sooner next time." She smiled brightly, ignoring what had just happened between us. As relieved as I felt, a twang of disappointment prodded at my stomach.

"Me too, sweetheart. Soul, it was so nice to meet you, I hope you realized some things." Kami said in a completely calm, melodic voice. Maka was struck with a slightly confused expression, but I wiped the usual smirk off of my face, nodded, and flashed Kami one of my rare, genuine smiles. I swear I heard Maka sharply draw in a breath for some reason. She was probably just shocked I was smiling.

"I did. Thank you." Kami imitated me, smiling and nodding just as I did. Then, brushing off her confusion, Maka took hold of my hand, and we walked towards the exit.

SMSMSMSMSMSM

"Huh, you know, the moon always looks so beautiful at night. At least, it does here." She was practically skipping along, the moonlight hitting her as it had before. That hair of hers, and those eyes sparkling under the stars. She still hadn't let go of my hand, it was locked tightly in her vice-grip fingers, and my heart was racing a mile a minute at the contact. I smirked slightly. I think I'm about to say something really cheesy and cliché. Oh well, even cool guys have their moments of weakness.

"I've seen prettier." I said quietly staring at her. I knew it. That was so cheesy. But, I don't think I regret it, because her head quickly turned, hair whipping in a semicircle, and she stared deeply into my eyes, and blushed. Her mouth opened slightly, and a small sound came out, before she aught her breath and spoke out a bit shakily.

"Did... you say something?" She asked, not tearing her gaze from my ruby eyes. Her shoes clicked against the cold, hard, tan pavement of the sidewalk. She seemed to relax considerably when I didn't answer, and she turned away again, concentrating on walking forward. I kept looking at her moving, thinking of how pretty and wonderful and brave she was, then stopped in my tracks. Something inside of me (that was already hanging on by a thread as a result of this evening) just... snapped. She felt me stop, and since she was still clasping tightly onto my hand, she stopped as well. "Soul?" She inquired quietly, turning her tiny body in my direction.

I sighed slowly, and gathered up all the courage that had helped us get through countless battles. Then, slowly reaching out, I took hold of her other hand, and held them both in my slightly larger ones. I peered up and met her olive eyes, blinked a couple of times, and I leaned closer to her, and even closer, until my mouth was right by her ear. Next, I whispered what had been on my mind for quite a while in her ear. "I said your beautiful." I pulled away from the side of her head and continued what I had been doing earlier, staring into her seemingly endless eyes. They widened in surprise, and her tiny fingers went rigid in my hands, along with the rest of her body. She was as still as a statue, the only thing moving was her hair being tugged by a breeze. Although this had taken me nearly the whole night, (okay... maybe much longer than that) I realized it must be kind of sudden for her. Make that really sudden.

Her lips parted slightly as if she were about to speak, then she closed it again, and continued to look into my eyes. Her mouth opened again, and this time, she whispered. "Soul." That was all she said, but just hearing her voice, hearing her say something that wasn't an incredulous laugh at my comment, broke my self control completely. I kept staring at her intently, trying to covey the message, tell her how I felt about her with my eyes. She looked innocent and oblivious. I wasn't about to give up though. No matter how much I wished I did, I still couldn't summon the courage to tell her. So I went for the next best thing. Instead, I concentrated on trying to push the message into her soul through mine. I felt the message through our connected hands, and I thought harder, random memories of us, her Maka-Chops, when I had punched that guy in the park who hit on her, and finally, my conversation with Kami. I thought about all of this with all of my soul, and then, turned my face up, and stared as deeply into her eyes as I could. Finally, a glimmer of understanding flashed across her eyes, and that was all I needed. I did something risky, unlike me, and... I had never wanted to do anything more. I leaned in, and kissed her soundly on the mouth. I felt her gasp against my lips, but, she almost instantly threw her arms around my neck and returned the kiss with passion. I felt giddy. Like I could jump for joy, but instead, I decided I would rather kiss Maka. It wasn't a very difficult choice to make.

We pressed closer and closer together, until there was not even air could slip between us. At that moment, one of us let out a small moan, but in the passion of the moment, I couldn't tell you who it was if I tried. My tongue traced against her bottom lip, and I marveled at the soft moist feeling and the wonderful taste. I couldn't describe it if you asked me to... it was just... Maka. Shyly, she opened her mouth to allow me entrance. My tongue entered her mouth, and hers entered mine. They pushed and battled against each other for dominance. My hands looped around her waist, and pulled her, if possible, closer to me. She sighed and moaned against my lips, and her hands tangled in my hair, pulling my face into hers. I felt like if this went on for another second, I would end up jumping her right here. So, slowly, I pulled away. Her eyes were still half closed, and her lips were deliciously red.

After taking a few deep breaths, her eyes drifted open fully, and she stared longingly at me. I didn't notice the cold night air, or the blowing trees, all that I saw was her. "Soul." She whispered just as she had before. My hands shot out and I grabbed her waist and pulled her into a tight hug, wrapping her in my arms, as if she might disappear if I let go of her. Her soft voice sounded in my ear again, in the form of a small sigh. That made me even more happy to be there with her... I couldn't keep it in any longer. I felt like I was going to explode... or something... (can you explode from keeping a secret? I'll google it when I get home) if I didn't tell her. So, I clutched her tighter, and prepared for the worst.

"I love you." I let out quietly into her neck. I was right. It did feel better to say it out loud. As I thought, I felt her body stiffen again, except for this time much more dramatically. Her gasp was loud and expected, and as she exhaled, her breath fanned across my neck sending goosebumps down my arms. She unlatched herself from me and pulled away slowly, looking up at me.

"What did you say?" I hoped I didn't blow it. But I had already told her, and I knew she had heard, and... I wanted her to know. So I put my hands into hers, and told her again.

"I love you Maka. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it." Those forest eyes slowly became glazed over with shining tears. She looked like she was crying. She _was_ crying. Crap. I hope I didn't just ruin our friendship. I'm so stupid! I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I hurt her, or made her upset, but... as long as she knew how I felt... I needed her to know. I have to say sorry. I hoped me and my stupid need to go spewing off my feelings didn't make her too upset.

I sighed wearily and looked down, a scrambled apology on the tip of my tongue. Just as I was about to speak it, she lunged forward. Her lips aggressively pushed against mine, officially silencing my comments. Again, she swiftly threw her arms around me and tangled them into my snow-white hair. Before I even had a chance to wrap my arms around her waist and kiss her back, she pulled away and put on a dazzling smile.

"It really did take you too long to realize it. Baka." I felt a light tap on my head, and looking up, I realized she had weakly Maka Chopped me. (Where the hell does she even keep her books? She has no bags or pockets!) I smiled and pulled her flush against me again, in another searing kiss. I realized she still hadn't told me if she loved me, although her response made it pretty obvious... I kind of wanted to hear her say it. Before she began to respond, this time I pulled away, but not very far. With every word I said, my lips lightly brushed against hers.

"So... what's your take on me?" I said, finishing by lightly pecking her soft pink lips, something I realized I would never get tired of doing.

"Well," She said, still so close to me that I could feel her body heat, "your alright." She pecked me on the lips again like I had done to her, and I pulled her in, wanting to kiss her longer. She broke away, which was slightly frustrating, until I heard what she had to say, making my entire day that much better. (Even though this was already the most fucking fantastic day of my life.) "You know, I love you too." She giggled lightly. I smiled. Not smirked, but smiled. I knew that made Maka happy, because once again she let out a light, ringing laugh. Then, I ran a hand through that silky hair of hers and said the coolest thing I could think of.

"Yeah, I know." She smirked. I think she has been hanging out with me too much. (Not that I'm complaining.) She never used to smirk... although it _was_ incredibly sexy.

"Well then, Mr. Cool-guy, shut-up and kiss me." And I did. I put my hands on her waist, and pulled her even closer than I had ever dreamed I would be to her. Just because I could. Those hands of hers played with the hair at the nape of my neck, sending shudders down my spine. And, in the happiest daze I had ever been in, I held her and kissed her, and hoped that pulling away from her was not something that would happen in the near future.

SMSMSMSMSMSM

It was a wonder we ever made it back to our apartment. It wasn't a very long walk at all, normally it was just time consuming and boring, rather than straining and tiring. It was a lot less boring this time. Probably because every few feet I would pull Maka to a short stop, to stroke her soft alabaster skin with the back of my slightly cold hand, run my fingers through her straw-colored hair, or give her a short, chaste kiss on her soft, delicious lips. Occasionally, we would get caught up in the moment, but eventually, we would come to the realization that we were standing smack in the middle of the tan, poorly paved over sidewalk, random people staring at us. So Maka would giggle (another thing I would never get tired of) and grab my hand again, pulling me along.

Eventually, by some miracle, we reached the plainly painted white hallway of our apartment, our shoes getting caught on the cheap auburn carpets. I turned around and tried to yank Maka snugly into my arms again, but instead she smiled lightly and spun around on the heel of her flat shoes, an arm shooting out, as she pushed open the white apartment door with such astounding force it nearly blew off the hinges. My eyes widened slightly and I gave her a slightly shocked look, but she just flashed another sexy smirk and turned around, waiting to be taken into my arms again. Well... a cool guy like me doesn't make a girl wait. So, I dragged her into another tight hug, and her lips immediately melded against mine, her nimble (and by the point I had realized _very_ tantalizing) fingers raking through my hair, which by now was probably in a messier state then it had been in years. But as long as it was Maka messing it up, I had no serious complaints.

We backed up slowly into our dimly lit living room, my leg inadvertently shooting out and kicking the door shut behind us with a loud _bang. _I felt a soft humming as she moaned against my lips, and my hands moved into the small of her back, pulling her closer. Her tongue playfully darted out from the cavern of her enticing mouth, and traced over the top row of my jagged teeth. I always thought that my teeth were... just plain weird. And up until I met Maka, the combination of my white hair, blood-red eyes, and pointy shark-like teeth had always struck a note of fear in people's hearts, repelling them from me like I had some kind of contagious disease. Everyone ran, and judged me for how I looked before they even knew me. But Maka... she had listened to my dark, depressing piano piece, and I played for the first time, without fear of being judged. When I was done, she had smiled a sun-blocking smile, held out her hand, told me her name, and asked me what kind of weapon I was. The second I had told her I was a scythe, she cheerfully bounced, and asked if I would be her partner.

Maybe that was why I loved Maka so much. She was the first person in my life, who truly loved me back, everything about me, my strange hair, my menacing eyes and razor sharp teeth. Even though she was a violent, bookworm, flat-chest, I know that I would never change anything about her. And... the thought of me finally having a reason to punch people who flirted with her made me even more cheery. So, why not concentrate my happy emotions solely on kissing my Maka?

Before I had a chance to put my master plan into action, I was yanked out of my thoughts by a sharp bump that left a quickly fading red-mark on the back of my legs. In annoyance, I broke away from Maka, to rotate my head slightly, seeing what had I had so inconveniently bumped into. With a swift glance, I realized the soft and inviting edge of the couch had been what I had inadvertently walked into. I turned my head back around, peeking at Maka. Her eyelids were still half closed, and her hair looked like a bird had decided to build it's nest in it. She had an exuberant look on her face, and love and happiness were pouring from her every corner.

Before I could capture her enticing lips again, (a habit I couldn't seem to break) she gave me a sly and slightly devilish look before tipping forward, pushing her weight onto me, and knocking us both onto the couch with a dull thud. My head bounced against the plush cushions, and I peered up to see Maka's smiling face, staring down at me with affection. Her sandy hair draped down around me in a curtain, tickling my nose as I weakly tried to blow it out of the way. She was laying on top of me, every curve of her body pressed into mine. She barely weighed a thing, I imagine it was like having a feather on top of you.

I had to give her credit for the idea of moving onto the couch, but now, it was my turn to show her what I was cooking up in my not-so-innocent mind. Slyly looping an arm around her, and allowing my trademark smirk to grace my face, I flipped her lithe and pretty body over, so that I hovered above her, looking down. I was careful not to press any of my weight on her, because although I knew better, when I looked at her, she seemed like a china doll, so beautiful, fragile, and easy to break. Her tiny giggle brought me back to reality (the best reality I had ever taken part in) and make me realize with a start that I hadn't kissed her in over thirty-seconds. I quickly came to the conclusion that was far, far too long. I mean, I _do_ love her and all. So, I ducked my head with lightening speed and dropped a soft kiss on her lips. But I didn't stay there for long.

Although she whined slightly in complaint when I stopped kissing her mouth, the light protesting abruptly stopped when I gave her neck a light, wet kiss. She let out an attractive gasp when I continued kissing down her neck in a tantalizingly slow manner.

"S... Soul!" She gasped again when my teeth lightly grazed against the warm, milk and honey skin of her neck. Hearing her make these beautiful sounds and cries was almost too much for me to take. So, slowly, I peeled my body away from hers, leaving her panting lightly, before she looked back up at me, fire in her eyes. I was almost taken away by her passion as she grasped me to her with astounding force, and kissed me again with eyes, though temporarily widened (for the thirty-thousandth time that night) quickly snapped shut, and I started hugging her tighter. My eyes didn't stay closed long though.

They increased to the size of saucers when I felt Maka's tiny hands sliding effortlessly up the front of my scratchy button-up shirt. They reached the top, and gripped my shoulders tightly, fingers digging in. With one swift motion, she pushed me back onto the mercilessly messed up couch with a flop. Doing something quite unexpected, she began to imitate my earlier actions. Her warm soft lips began to place scattered kisses all over my neck. I almost let out a moan, but held it in with a great effort as she wound her body around mine in every way possible, her hands dipping down again.

To my great surprise (but I totally was not upset _at all_) her slender fingers unfastening the first button of my horrible burgundy dress shirt. Her moist lips continued to kiss my neck, and with each button she unfastened, the touch of her hands brushing against my chest made me nearly shake (something cool guys should not do). Every new inch of skin that was exposed, she peppered with kisses, going lower and lower down my chest. Finally, with a light tug from her hands that were balled into tight fists around the fabric of my shirt, she opened the itchy garment, showing my entire torso.

Slowly, with almost a heavily weighted look in her movement, she lifted herself away from me, her eyes screwed tightly shut. I immediately had concern take over my mind, clouding every previous thought that had occupied it.

"Maka?" I asked gently, sitting up and cupping her face in my hand. "Maka, are you, okay? You can tell me if something is wrong." She drew a shaky breath, and didn't answer, as a crystal tear slipped from her tightly shut eyes and landed with a plop on my stomach. Now I was really worried.

"Maka?" She still didn't answer. Instead, she lifted an unsteady hand, with one pointed finger, and with a light touch, traced over my long-healed scar. I instantly understood what had upset her. Whenever she saw that scar, she felt guilty, like _she_ had hurt me, and no matter how many times I tried to assure her that wasn't true she never seemed to believe me. My two bigger hands reached out and touched her hand, then swiftly drew it into mine. Her eyes snapped open, a few contained crystal tears spilling out. I lifted one of my hands up, and quietly brushed them away, then leaned forward, silently kissing her cheek.

I continued kissing down her neck lightly again, before I started whispering to her in a light, soothing voice.

"Maka, this wasn't your fault. I don't _ever_ want you to think this is your fault. This scar... it just shows how much I love you... even when I didn't know it. It's all worth it... because, if I lost you... I wouldn't ever be able to live again. You hear that? I... love... you." I said separating each word with a firm kiss to her lips, that were clinging lightly to the taste of salt from her tears. I slowly pulled away, and looked into her still wet and shimmering eyes with a smirk. "Besides... this scar makes me look cool." I could see that Maka couldn't contain the laugh that escaped from her lips, before she pushed them back onto mine, throwing her arms up and pushing my shirt the rest of the way off of my shoulders.

Her hands ran over my chest when I leaned slowly back down and lowered her back onto the couch, kissing her neck as I had done before, and kissing the rest of her tears off of her soft face before continuing on my path down her collarbone.

She was sighing and squirming, her movements making it even harder for me to maintain my control. Her open palms moved over every part of my torso, the tickling feelings better than anything I could have ever imagined. I finally reached the edge of her olive green dress, no more of her silky skin exposed for my lips to attack. I peeked up at her, and I caught her frustrated expression, her eyes full of question as to why I had stopped. I let out a soft laugh and hugged her, melding her body to mine.

"You're dress is in the way." I quickly explained to avoid a painful Maka-Chop. She wasted no time in rolling her eyes and responding.

"So get rid of it." My breath caught in my throat, and my words must have sounded like a startled squeak. The way I was talking was so NOT cool.

"Wh... what? Maka... that's..." My scarlet eyes shifted up to her, and caught a bit of the very serious expression gracing her face. I just stared back at her for a few moments, before swallowing loudly, and asking a question in the calmest voice I could manage.

"M-Maka, are you sure?" All that I saw was a coy smile, as a light laugh echoed in my ears, followed by a teasing voice.

"Would you rather someone else see me naked? Hmm... I wonder if Kid is home..." I felt a slight boil in my blood at the thought of her doing _anything _like this with _anyone_ else. So, with a mischievous smile, bearing my gleaming white fangs slightly, I slipped my hands under her torso, winding my arms around her.

"That's it. You've done it now." I picked her up in one fluid motion, ignoring her startled shrieks and teasing cries, as my legs carried us swiftly into my dark bedroom. The red walls surrounded us, enveloping us in a familiar color, the white slants of light streaming in though the pulled shades of the window. My arms weren't tired at all from carrying her, (like a said, that girl didn't weigh a THING) so, I made sure to set her down on my bed with a gentle motion, her head near the pillows, which were extremely wrinkled and askew. My carefulness was not returned as Maka yanked me roughly back down on top of her with her two strong, thin arms. Her breath fanned against the shell of my ear, raising goosebumps on my arms as she whispered to me in a wavering voice.

"I'm waiting Mr. Cool-Guy." Those words sent a wave of something I couldn't quite recognize through me, but all I knew was that I wanted that dress off as much as she did.


End file.
